tiruchy l saturday l december 14, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late CITY EDITION Champions Trophy: Hybrid model agreed in principle ICC likely to announce CT formula on Saturday after Pakistan and Indian cricket boards reportedly agree in principle to play at neutral venues Dubai most-likely venue for india other seven teams to play in Pak It is understood that India could play in Dubai during the CT next year to be held from February 19 to March 9. Reports indicate that when India host 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup and 2026 men’s WC, Pakistan will not travel here and play their matches at a neutral venue (could be Colombo for men’s WC). If India reach final then it could be at a neutral venue ■ ■ ■ The CT features eight teams, divided into two groups and all countries, except India, have agreed to play in Pakistan The PCB had said that it was willing to accept the hybrid model only if the same arrangement will be made for all ICC events India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup 8 Number of teams to play in the Champions trophy CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Allu Arjun arrested, granted bail T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad Rajnath Singh and Priyanka Gandhi participating in a debate in LS on Friday | PTI Rajnath Singh, Priyanka trade barbs in debate Discussion to mark 75th year of Constitution P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The much-anticipated debate to commemorate the 75th year of the Constitution kicked off on Friday with the ruling BJPled NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc sparring over Constitutional values, its relevance and key political issues. Initiating the debate in the Lok Sabha, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh attacked the Congress saying a particular party always tried to ‘hijack and appropriate’ the framing of the Constitution. Rajnath said the Congress made 28 Constitutional amendments during Indira Gandhi’s tenure and 10 during Rajiv Gandhi’s rule. And the Manmohan Singh government made seven amendments. The BJP has never compromised the independence and autonomy of institutions and always adhered to the Constitution, Rajnath said. The Constitution talked about religious freedom and it had been specified that the state would not have a religion but be secular, he added. “Opposition leaders carry the Constitution in their pockets, they have done this for generations, but the BJP holds it to its forehead,” Rajnath said. Opening the debate for the Opposition, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra rebutted Rajnath’s criticisms. “Treasury bench members keep talking about the past and Nehru. Why don’t you talk about the present? Tell the country what you are doing. Is everything Nehru’s responsibility?” she asked in her first address in Parliament. Priyanka also hit out at the government over the Adani issue, which invited protests. “Farm laws have been changed for industrialists. Cold storages in Himachal Pradesh were given to Adani by the Centre. Ports, airports, factories, mines and public sector units are controlled by one person. The poor are getting poorer, while the rich are getting richer,” she alleged. Referring to Rajnath’s criticism of Emergency, Priyanka said, “Learn from what happened in 1975. Why don’t you go back to ballot paper?” Criticishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, “Maybe he hasn’t understood that this is the Constitution of India, not the Sangh’s.” actor Allu Arjun was on Friday arrested in connection with the death of a woman at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa-2 on December 4. He was produced before the Nampally court, which sent him to 14 days judicial custody Later in . the day, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail for four weeks. Arjun would have to spend the night in Chanchalguda jail as the prison authorities did not receive the copy of the HC order till 10.30 pm. By the time the order copy was uploaded online, Arjun’s advocates handed over a hard copy to the jail authorities. Director General (Prisons) Soumya Mishra verified the physical copy of the HC order, as the Chanchalguda jail superintendent was on leave. The jail authorities found there were mistakes in the order copy Arjun will be released . on Saturday once the rectified order copy is submitted. Also, the surety amount of `50,000 was not submitted on Friday . The HC’s bail conditions included furnishing a personal bond of `50,000 and refraining from influencing witnesses. Jr doc murder Ex-principal of RG Kar, cop granted bail S u l a g n a S e n g u p ta @ Kolkata A Sealdah court on Friday granted bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, and Abhijit Mondol, former officer in-charge of the Tala police station, in the horrific rapemurder case of a junior doctor four months ago. While Mondal was accused of delay in filing the FIR in the case, Ghosh was charged with tampering evidence. The court granted them bail as the CBI failed to submit its chargesheet within 90 days. For its part, the CBI said its probe against the accused is ongoing. The shocked parents of the RG Kar hospital victim waiting for justice said the system is failing them. “We thought the CBI would speed up the probe. But now, with the accused being granted bail, it feels like the system is failing us,” said the mother of the victim. Massive protests had erupted across the country after the rape-murder of the doctor in the hospital on August 9. While Mondal is expected to walk out of prison, Ghosh will remain in jail in another case of alleged financial irregularities at R G Kar. HC clears way for MS award to TM Krishna R SI V A K UMAR @ Chennai By setting aside an injunction order of a single judge on the Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi award, instituted by The Hindu newspaper, a division bench of the Madras High Court on Friday cleared the legal hurdle to present the award to popular musician TM Krishna. The prestigious award, carrying a cash prize of `1 lakh, will be conferred on Krishna on January 1 at the Music Academy, a press release from the academy said. The bench of Justices SS Sundar and P Dhanabal passed the order on appeals filed against the single judge’s injunction order granted on a civil suit filed by V Shrinivasan, grandson of Subbulakshmi. “Conferment of an award by an Organisation or a Trust in memory of a legend to an individual is a recognition of his achievement and is not prohibited in law. In this case, ex- cept the recitals of the will expressing her desire, no other source is alleged. Even though we are not agreeing, assuming that the desire of Dr MS Subbulakshmi was that no award shall be conferred on anyone in her name or in memory of her, how is this enforceable if conferment of award is not by way of exploiting her personality but by way of honouring or recognising her achievements in the field of music,” asked the bench. P7 SC hearing on Monday Meanwhile, a bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, refused to take up an urgent special leave petition and said the matter could be heard on Monday The actor was also asked to file a fresh petition for regular bail in the trial court. The next hearing is on December 21. The case is related to the death of M Revathi in a stampede when the actor’s fans rushed to have his glimpse during the premier of the film. Allu Arjun at the Gandhi Hosp. for checkup | pti Heavy rain lashes Nellai, Tenkasi Next spell to begin on Dec 16 According to the RMC in Chennai, the next spell of heavy rainfall may begin on December 16. The rainfall may further intensify over the next day and will continue till December 18 Express News Service @ Tirunelveli/Tenkasi/Chennai Extremely heavy rain lashed various parts of Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts on Thursday night, with Oothu in the Manjolai Hills registering 54 cm of rainfall in 24 hours till Friday morning, the highest in the state. Across the two districts, many roads, including the Manimuthar-Manjolai and Shengottai-Puliyarai stretches, were cut off. Four houses in Tenkasi and a few in Tirunelveli collapsed, but no injuries Kurukkuthurai Murugan temple in Tirunelveli submerged in flood | V KARTHIKALAGU were reported. Extreme rainfall was also recorded in Ambasamudram (36.6 cm), Kannadian Anicut (35.1 cm), Kakkachi (35 cm), Manjolai (32 cm), Ayikudi (31.2 cm), Naalumukku (31 cm), Manimuthar (29.8 cm), Shengottai (24 cm), Ramanathi Dam (23.8 cm), Servalaru Dam (23.7 cm), Tenkasi (23 cm), Cheranmahadevi (22.5 cm), and Gundar Dam (20.8 cm). P7